I Discovered 5 French-Girl Ways to Wear Eye Makeup This Summer, and It's All Thanks to This One Product

They say that the eyes are a window to the soul, and I'd add that eye makeup is a reflection of style. Whether you're a makeup maximalist or minimalist, onlookers catch a glimpse of your creative persona via the wash of color splashed across your eyelids or the whisper of smoky liner rimming your orbs. Your eyes don't just say that you're warm, inviting, or not in the mood for talking—they also say that you have a good enough understanding of color theory to know that rich burgundy shadow makes your brown eyes pop or that you made the conscious choice to go mascara-free to let your lipstick do the talking.

Since I'm always looking to reinvent my eye makeup, one of my first references is the French—what with their mystique, eclectically chic clothes, and effortless beauty. Though Parisian women may be best known for their statement red lips, French makeup artist Violette Serrat calls one of her latest ventures, the Violette_Fr Plume Eye Shadow, one of the most authentic to her lifestyle.

"In a way, Plume Eyeshadow might be the most French-inspired formula we’ve created yet," says Serrat, the artist and brand's founder. ("After Bisou Balm," she clarifies.) "I’ve always been obsessed with the eyes in old French cinema—nothing too perfect or overly 'done,'" she explains, "just this soft, lived-in sensuality that makes you look more like yourself, but with a little mystery." Yes, there are cream eye shadow sticks, liquid shadows, and powder formulas galore, but Serrat found herself floundering when she tried to look for something sheerer, more foolproof, and perfectly French-friendly: meaning you can truly swipe and go.

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"I realized there was nothing on the market that gave you that feeling in an effortless, intuitive way," she tells Who What Wear. To fill the gap, her team hit the cosmetics lab to cook up a cream-to-powder texture that offered the blending ease she sought with the smoky, gauzy finish she craved. "It has this incredible melt-to-matte effect that fuses with the skin and creates a soft veil of color instead of something harsh or flat," she explains. In short, they're inherently immune to mistakes. In Serrat's words, the resulting blue-tinned, dreamy shadows that look closer to a trick of the light than a makeup product are things you could "build, smudge, and wear instinctively." Sounds like a French reverie.

The "French Girl" Approach

"For me, the 'French girl' approach is really about restraint," says Serrat. Sheer washes of color and diffused color sound easy-breezy but are typically the result of several ultra-thin layers blended into oblivion by a highly trained makeup artist. "I wanted to create a formula you could literally swipe on with your finger in two seconds and go. If you’re spending an hour in front of the mirror trying to perfect your eye shadow, you’ve already lost that effortless feeling," she adds. Effortless beauty should be effortless, no?

5 Ways to Wear the Plume Eye Shadows

Yes, I dedicated an entire paragraph of this piece to the French approach to beauty, but the secret is scarily simple—messy, hurried, and virtually technique-less. However, I'm an American interpreting French beauty, so naturally I'm making things a bit more complicated. Keep scrolling to see the five ways I'm manipulating this shadow this summer.

Watercolor Wash

The first, and most authentic French technique, is the smudge-and-go. Thanks to these hazy, sheer shadows, you can rub the pad of your finger onto the cream powder and muss it onto your lids for that hazy wash of color. "One trick I love is working the shadow onto the volume of the eye," says Serrat, referencing the center of the lid. "I add to the center of the eyelid, then focus depth into the crease and along the lash line, stretching it out toward the outer corner of the eye," she explains. "It gives the eyes this alive, smoky look that feels cinematic and sensual without looking overworked."

Color Used: Pluie Violette

Hazy Liner

One of my favorite ways to do eye makeup is to accent the lash line with a soft flick of eye shadow, not liner. It's softer, making it suitable for daytime, but it can also be intensified for a deeper look once the sun goes down. (Or anytime you want, it's your world.) " I love taking a small brush and pressing it along the upper and lower lash lines, almost like a soft liner, then winging it out slightly," says Serrat. "It gives the eyes definition and depth but in a much lighter way than a classic eyeliner."

Color Used: Charbon Fumé

Soft Smoke

While I love tracing a clean wing with these soft shadows, the formula envelopes the eye in a seductive fog when smudged into the lash line. "I’ll use a combination of fingers and a brush to add color across the eyelid, concentrating more depth in the outer corner and tracing it along the upper and lower lash lines," says Serrat. "Then, I’ll softly blend additional color just above the natural crease to create the illusion of wider, more open eyes," she adds. This, she says, is a great way to "open" hooded eyelids.

Colors Used: Charbon Fumé and Bois Brûlé

Flash of Light

Think of eye shadow as an outfit: You can play with layers until the look feels right. "I’ll swipe on a shimmer shade of Plume Eyeshadow and finish with tiny accents of Lune Liner in the corners of the eyes to catch the light as the face moves," says Serrat. "I never want it to feel 'full glam,'" she states. "It should feel spontaneous, like the makeup became part of you." The key to one of these effortless yet undeniably cool looks is stepping outside your comfort zone—you won't find anything new there. "Makeup should feel expressive, not restrictive," she muses.

Color Used: Pluie Violette

Halo Eyes

I love a sultry halo eye after the sun goes down, and these shadows are especially suited for the occasion. The blendable cream pigments are easy to smooth over the eyes in a sheer wash, which creates a solid base for the rest of the look. With a small blending brush, I gently apply my deeper shade (in this case, Bois Brûlé) to the inner and outer corners of the eye, sweeping toward the center but leaving a blank space in the middle. (Pro tip: Blend out any harsh edges with your fingers for a smoother look.) Selecting a shimmery accent shade, I'll coat the pad of my fingertip in the sparkling shadow and swipe it over the center a few times to build intensity. From there, you can blend any rough lines with a fluffy brush—but don't overdo it, as the small imperfections are what keep these looks interesting.

Colors Used: Orchidée Céleste and Bois Brûlé

More Effortless Single Eye Shadows to Try